Volkswagen Club of Pakistan (VWCOP)

Lets all contribute pics and memories to this timeless classic that has faithfully served generations. It is my 1st car memory and my dad who is a Beetle enthusiast at one time had a total of 4 beetles in our garage Here's a little history of this miraculous German wonder: 'The history of the Beetle really goes back to pre 2nd world war Germany when Ferdinand Porsche had a vision of a mass produced vehicle that was affordable to the average German, an idea that was shared with the young Adolf Hitler who himself could not drive, but was a car fanatic. Hitler was apparently influenced by the achievements of Henry Ford and his production lines - reading Ford's biography while in prison during 1923. Porsche had previously worked on some other small cars that used many elements later to be included in the Beetle. The Type 32 prototype NSU of 1934 was an air-cooled rear engined four cylinder horizontally opposed powered car that used torsion bar suspension and featured beetle-like styling.' --- source - Google.co.uk lets keep the posts rolling - add pics of bugs you've owned or own! I'll add my dad's bug family pics as well ... I guess he fell in love with this oddly shaped car after he drove it down to Pakistan from Germany!!!! .. stories of that wonderous journey keep us entertained whenever our family gets together

Australia's Quickest VW!

Australia's Quickest VW!

Zero to 60mph in Under Two Seconds<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com</o:p>Rod's first drag car was based on street style technology with a pan-style chassis and, at first, a 2400cc AutoCraft engine that ran 11s at 122mph. Later, the engine was boosted with a turbo, maxing out at 9.63 at 145mph, which at the time was an Australian record.<o:p></o:p>"We never had any dramas with the gearbox in that one," says Rod. "It was a Bus-type box with IRS and had a lot of success. But then we started feeding too much horsepower through it, and on big launches, the car was out of control, going left and right and hitting track markers. It wasn't really worth persevering." So after the "moments" on the racetrack, Rod felt the chassis was at the end of its development and retired the car in 1998.<o:p></o:p>The tube-framed drag car on these pages is what replaced it. As Rod relates, "I started this in June 1998 and it took me two-and-a-half years to complete it. A Beetle bought for $50 was used as a basis for the new car, although little of it remains (apart from A pillars and quarter panels). Even the roof has been replaced" As you can see, a nice slice has lowered the roof, and the rear panels are fiberglass. Other mods include removal of the doors' upper frames and extensive lightening of every other section of the remaining factory tin. The chassis constructed by Rod was inspired by what he had seen on the U.S. tracks. "Buying a few American magazines such as VWTrends, looking at photographs and talking to Jimmy Larsen from JCL Racecars gave me the confidence to have a go," says Rod. "Jim was an immense help. I seriously considered importing a chassis from him, but in the end it was simply too expensive with the weak value of the Aussie dollar back then."<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>The front suspension is a narrowed VW link pin arrangement with Wilwood disc brakes and four-piston calipers. The front wheels are a set of 15x3.5 with Formula Vee tires.<o:p></o:p>The front suspension is a narrowed VW link pin arrangement with Wilwood disc brakes and four-piston calipers. The front wheels are a set of 15x3.5 with Formula Vee tires. The complete floor is 2mm aluminum swung under the 110kg worth of steel in the chassis. The rear end employs 32-inch long trailing arms with Spax coil-over adjustable dampers, 920lbs springs and Wilwood five-lug hubs, semi-floating discs and four-piston calipers inside 15x8-inch alloy with MT slicks.<o:p></o:p>According to Rod, the chassis was the easy part of the car's construction, taking one working week to complete. "After that, it was another couple of years until we finished the car. We fabricated absolutely everything. We made pedals, mounted cables, fabricated mounting tabs--it was a big process!"<o:p></o:p>After the success of the previous car, the engine remains an Auto Craft. "I built the engine myself, after buying it second-hand here in Australia. It was a complete, dyno-tuned engine built for a speedway car but never used," explains Rod. "I pulled it apart and added some other bits and pieces for the drags." Internally, the big dry-sump Auto Craft displaces its 2810cc from an 86mm flanged crank and Auto Craft 102mm forged pistons in ductile iron cylinders. Bridging the void between the four pistons and the crank are Carrillo 5.7 rods with Porsche journal sizes. The heads are Auto Craft Pro Series with 50.5mm and 40.5mm valves and the compression is 8.72:1. Rockers and pushrods are all Auto Craft.<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>Most everything on the car was fabricated by Ron himself, including the pedal cluster.<o:p></o:p>Rod made all the manifolds and exhaust system. The intake is built from 65mm mild steel tube with HPC coating and a blow-off valve. The exhaust design--also HPC coated--uses four 2x22-inch primaries terminating at a T72 turbo and dual Turbonetics wastegates with dial-a-boost controllers. The fuel system is Hilborn mechanical and the ignition uses Compufire dual coil packs with an Auto Meter Pro Control rev limiter. For his record run--and most other runs--boost peaks at 31psi. Power output is a healthy 297kW at the tires at 7600rpm, which extrapolates to around 500hp at the flywheel. In the 1656lbs (with Rod in it) drag Beetle, 0-100km.h (62mph) comes up in less than two seconds on the way to sub nines. "The nitrous has been the biggest headache," says Rod. "It doesn't seem to want to work without damaging engine parts. It's a whole new ball game!" The engine was damaged by fire thanks to a nitrous-related gasket popping incident. Fronting the engine is a Kombi case gearbox built with plenty of Dave Folts' input. It's a swing axle setup with five inches taken from each side.The ring and pinion is a 4.6:1, surrounding a Folts alloy spool. The intermediate housing is from Gene Berg Ent.<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>The effort Rod put into his "new" drag car has been worthwhile. The car launches and tracks straight--without the attitude displayed by his old car--and lifts the front wheels in all four gears. "The first day out, this car went quicker than my old one and I broke my own record. That gives me the two quickest Volkswagens in Australia!"Until he builds his new one, of course!

^i've also got that article (in print) in one of the mags i picked up a few weeks back. WHAT A CAR!!

1. A car is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, 2. Resale wont save your life in an accident, 3. Genius has limits, stupidity has none, 4. Never argue with an idiot, they will bring you down to their level & beat you with experience, 5. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young! 6. انّا للہ و انّا الیہ راجعون

Why do I get the feeling I have seen this car somewhere???? What color is/was it???? Who did you sell it on to???

I met Murtaza a short while ago ....at his mechanic's......I think he has a long story to tell us with the moral that one should NEVER EVER give a VW to any mechanic who does not know these cars. Period!

He needed the carb float and of course not the 'float bowl' itself.......

I would like to lend him a float off my stranded 68 to bring his VDub on road so that he has his car.....at last.....out of the clutches of the wicked wicked mechanic ustaad jee.....meanwhile we shall try to source a spare carb for him......

???

Rudeboy.....is it a possibility you have the 1200 standard style steering???.....it has a simple round horn button at the centre and no horn ring or bars at the sides....

a 71 1300 bug (provided that is what you have with no engine swap and alterations) should have the steering with the D ring. Btw most people do not realize that the D ring finish changed in 1968 from a nice chrome to a dull silver chrome finish....more what aluminum looks like.....

If you have decided to change over to an aftermarket wheel, you have an option.......get an original Brazil made steering centre kit and mount any aftermarket wheel on it. The greatest advantage is you dont have to alter a single thing and the indicators would still cancel after taking a turn, just like it should......if you need the Brazilian kit please pmail me....

Btw, why not post a couple of pics of the wheel on your bug??? I would like to see what you have....

my bug was in cream exterior and its red interior when I sold it.. My car also had a flat padded dash and a 4 spoke plastic wolfsburg wheel. I spent some time making it run right (electrical issues) and some time with metal working (fweem - and heat riser problems) then tackled the sound and heat insulation issues.. In the end it was in its glory - torqued like anything and kept at 70 mph all day long on the highway

All of his hard work finally paid off, by becoming the owner of the quickest Bug of Australia.

like KPs 67,... probably the fastest bug in PK,.. .when it runs

1. A car is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, 2. Resale wont save your life in an accident, 3. Genius has limits, stupidity has none, 4. Never argue with an idiot, they will bring you down to their level & beat you with experience, 5. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young! 6. انّا للہ و انّا الیہ راجعون

I have recently rebuilt my engine, and for some reasons the alternator (generator) is giving me some problems. Mechanic in Peshawar told me that it's a hybrid alternator as some of the parts inside are from Mercedes alternator. Any idea where I can get an automatic alternator from? I've tried papu, rizwan and Moqeem but none of them have an automatic alternator... Your replies/ help will be highly appreciated.

my bug was in cream exterior and its red interior when I sold it.. My car also had a flat padded dash and a 4 spoke plastic wolfsburg wheel. I spent some time making it run right (electrical issues) and some time with metal working (fweem - and heat riser problems) then tackled the sound and heat insulation issues.. In the end it was in its glory - torqued like anything and kept at 70 mph all day long on the highway

Hmmm...

No, Ive been mistaken then. Dont recall seeing a bug in this color combo. But I must say, cream coachwork with a bright red interior looks superb.

I have recently rebuilt my engine, and for some reasons the alternator (generator) is giving me some problems. Mechanic in Peshawar told me that it's a hybrid alternator as some of the parts inside are from Mercedes alternator. Any idea where I can get an automatic alternator from? I've tried papu, rizwan and Moqeem but none of them have an automatic alternator... Your replies/ help will be highly appreciated.

I assume you are in Peshawar.

What exactly are the problems you are facing??? Please describe so we may be able to home in on a diagnosis. I would be convinced the alternator has an issue only when you tell us what the symptoms are. Rebuilding an engine should in no way affect the charging system.

I hope your engine has two pulleys and not three.....cant be sure what the mech means by a hybrid alternator?? A picture of your engine bay would point us in the right direction.

There is a possibility that you are running an original 74 onwards VW unit which came with an integral regulator/cutout as against the 73 onwards models which came with an external regulator (both kinds being used on VWs post 1974). If my guess is correct, the mech means to say that it shares the internal cutout with some mercedes alternators.

Nowadays alternators are hard to come by in Karachi even. And what you do get are of course without any sort of guarantee from the seller. You buy it, if good its yours, if bad its yours even then. Its very very hard to find the models with the built-in cutouts compared to the external ones.

Btw, the internal regulated ones can be converted with an external regulator by an expert electrician if the need arises.....

What exactly are the problems you are facing??? Please describe so we may be able to home in on a diagnosis. I would be convinced the alternator has an issue only when you tell us what the symptoms are. Rebuilding an engine should in no way affect the charging system.

I hope your engine has two pulleys and not three.....cant be sure what the mech means by a hybrid alternator?? A picture of your engine bay would point us in the right direction.

There is a possibility that you are running an original 74 onwards VW unit which came with an integral regulator/cutout as against the 73 onwards models which came with an external regulator (both kinds being used on VWs post 1974). If my guess is correct, the mech means to say that it shares the internal cutout with some mercedes alternators.

Nowadays alternators are hard to come by in Karachi even. And what you do get are of course without any sort of guarantee from the seller. You buy it, if good its yours, if bad its yours even then. Its very very hard to find the models with the built-in cutouts compared to the external ones.

Btw, the internal regulated ones can be converted with an external regulator by an expert electrician if the need arises.....

Waiting to hear from you.....

*1, the pulley loses its places time after time as you could see a deep marks on the alternator's body. The mechanic manually puts a washer to bring it to its desired place, but thats a very temporary solution.

*2 Some Mercedes parts are installed inside the area where I have partially marked the inlet in the alternator.

I meant to say that I have recently overhauled my engine and afraid it'd get seized if the alternator stop working on my long route.

By hybrid the mechanic merely meant that other branded vehicle's parts were cut and installed on the alternator in order to get it running for the time being, however its not a fixed solution.

That's the quickest and most comprehensive reply someone has posted to highlight their problem. Id try to help you the best I can here.

Problem number 1:

Well this is an issue with the pulley and probably not the alternator. There are different kinds of pulleys VW used over the years. Pl note that generator and alternator pulleys differ in some dimensions.

You have shown a small area 'eaten' by the pulley edge rubbing with the alt body. Your mechanic did the right thing by inserting a spacer washer over the shaft as this is the standard method of curing this issue.

Now what is not so right is the fact the problem recurs. I am trying to rack my brains as to what could cause this.........some possibilities:

--The top alt pulley and the bottom crank pulley are not in the same plane. You can check this by standing with your eye directly over the top pulley. It should be in the same vertical plane as the bottom one. In other words the fan belt must not have any sideways tension caused by misaligned pulleys.

--There may be axial play in the alternator shaft. This might be causing the shaft to have axial motion when its spinning. It would result in hammering of the spacer washer your mechanic has placed. Thus it needs to be replaced after a short time. To check this here is what you can do:

Take the fan belt and the pulley off the shaft. Try to pull and push the shaft....any play apart from minimal movement??? If you detect appreciable play here, the shaft needs some spacer washers *inside* the alternator housing. One needs to check the 'exploded view' diagram of a VW alt to understand this.

So to sum up, you need to check pulley alignment and look for and eliminate axial shaft play. A change of the upper pulley may be necessary. Please let me know if you need help locating one.

Problem number 2:

I dont think this is a problem at all. You have circled the winding inside the alt body. I dont think its easy/possible to change. My guess is the mech put in a different regulator inside the body. Access to the regulator is achieved by removing a small cover plate on the top of the alt body. I think if its working well you are good to go.

The fact that you are worried about your bug makes you a caring owner. Much appreciated in my eyes. All you need to do is make sure you have a functional alt warning light in your speedo (you are running the original speedo aren't you??)

The red light should go out once you have the engine running. It may come on solid or flickering at idle (may be so if the idle speed is below the standard of 750-800 RPM or the alt charging output is insufficient) but *must* go out if you rev the engine.

A solid light coming on while running the vehicle MUST prompt you to pull over *immediately* to the side of the road and investigate for a broken/slipping fan belt. That is a cause of a seized engine and not a faulty alternator.

doc, after he printed your reply and spoke to his "ustaad" about what you had said, i think his ustaad retired....

1. A car is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, 2. Resale wont save your life in an accident, 3. Genius has limits, stupidity has none, 4. Never argue with an idiot, they will bring you down to their level & beat you with experience, 5. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young! 6. انّا للہ و انّا الیہ راجعون

That's the quickest and most comprehensive reply someone has posted to highlight their problem. Id try to help you the best I can here.

Problem number 1:

Well this is an issue with the pulley and probably not the alternator. There are different kinds of pulleys VW used over the years. Pl note that generator and alternator pulleys differ in some dimensions.

You have shown a small area 'eaten' by the pulley edge rubbing with the alt body. Your mechanic did the right thing by inserting a spacer washer over the shaft as this is the standard method of curing this issue.

Now what is not so right is the fact the problem recurs. I am trying to rack my brains as to what could cause this.........some possibilities:

--The top alt pulley and the bottom crank pulley are not in the same plane. You can check this by standing with your eye directly over the top pulley. It should be in the same vertical plane as the bottom one. In other words the fan belt must not have any sideways tension caused by misaligned pulleys.

--There may be axial play in the alternator shaft. This might be causing the shaft to have axial motion when its spinning. It would result in hammering of the spacer washer your mechanic has placed. Thus it needs to be replaced after a short time. To check this here is what you can do:

Take the fan belt and the pulley off the shaft. Try to pull and push the shaft....any play apart from minimal movement??? If you detect appreciable play here, the shaft needs some spacer washers *inside* the alternator housing. One needs to check the 'exploded view' diagram of a VW alt to understand this.

So to sum up, you need to check pulley alignment and look for and eliminate axial shaft play. A change of the upper pulley may be necessary. Please let me know if you need help locating one.

Problem number 2:

I dont think this is a problem at all. You have circled the winding inside the alt body. I dont think its easy/possible to change. My guess is the mech put in a different regulator inside the body. Access to the regulator is achieved by removing a small cover plate on the top of the alt body. I think if its working well you are good to go.

The fact that you are worried about your bug makes you a caring owner. Much appreciated in my eyes. All you need to do is make sure you have a functional alt warning light in your speedo (you are running the original speedo aren't you??)

The red light should go out once you have the engine running. It may come on solid or flickering at idle (may be so if the idle speed is below the standard of 750-800 RPM or the alt charging output is insufficient) but *must* go out if you rev the engine.

A solid light coming on while running the vehicle MUST prompt you to pull over *immediately* to the side of the road and investigate for a broken/slipping fan belt. That is a cause of a seized engine and not a faulty alternator.

Sorry for the late reply, as I was on a visit to my village, came back today.

Anyways, what the mechanic said was that inside in the winding area, parts of mercedes were installed, hence the generator doesn't recharge the battery well. Now thats his diagnostics, beside him, I dont know any of the good electrician who can comment on it.

Having very little knowledge about beetle's mechanism, now I have this doubt in my mind that the generator isn't working well.

The generator light doesn't come on in above 1000 RPM.

Btw, the generator pulley isn't alligned with the 2nd pulley and thats what causing the problem, and thats where we need a washer to allign it.

Sorry for the late reply, as I was on a visit to my village, came back today.

Anyways, what the mechanic said was that inside in the winding area, parts of mercedes were installed, hence the generator doesn't recharge the battery well. Now thats his diagnostics, beside him, I dont know any of the good electrician who can comment on it.

Having very little knowledge about beetle's mechanism, now I have this doubt in my mind that the generator isn't working well.

The generator light doesn't come on in above 1000 RPM.

Btw, the generator pulley isn't alligned with the 2nd pulley and thats what causing the problem, and thats where we need a washer to allign it.

if i recall correctly, you are in peshawar. in that case i'd suggest that at some time you come to ISB/RWP and visit khalid mechanic to get yolur engine setup correctly. next a trip to khalid electrician in G8 to get the generator serviced/rebuilt.

these 2 khalids are both the best at what they do (now that shakeel is retired from VWs)

1. A car is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, 2. Resale wont save your life in an accident, 3. Genius has limits, stupidity has none, 4. Never argue with an idiot, they will bring you down to their level & beat you with experience, 5. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young! 6. انّا للہ و انّا الیہ راجعون

if i recall correctly, you are in peshawar. in that case i'd suggest that at some time you come to ISB/RWP and visit khalid mechanic to get yolur engine setup correctly. next a trip to khalid electrician in G8 to get the generator serviced/rebuilt.

these 2 khalids are both the best at what they do (now that shakeel is retired from VWs)

Absolutly Sameer bhai, Upon your suggestion, I drove my V-Dub to Pindi in order to be overhauled, however, Khalid ustad (Mechanic) did some of he electrician work for me as according to him nothing much is needed; hence, I didn't take the car to Khalid (electrician).

Now, the self prolongs when I try to crank the engine, and electrician here in Peshawar said its due to weak alternator.

You were the first whom I sms regarding this problem, but figured out after "no reply" that you were still abroad.

Its been 13 months since I am trying to get my V-Dub on to the road but looks like new bottle necks are popping up M so jealous of all those beauties on road without any mechanical challenges popping up on weekly basis.

Btw, I want to share a short story about how affectionate these bugs are:

My village is in the remote areas of Peshawar, where the west side was badly affected by flood. I took my buddy-bug to the affected areas where an ordinary car couldn't reach due to the dialapidated road conditions.

The flood victims were all sad, and one could see the level of stress/depression on their faces. However, every affected place I would visit, the bug would transform their stress into smiles. Kids, youngsters and elders would come to the roadsides in order to see "brainier engineering" in practical form. I could see how keen these kids were to see the bug from inside. However, due to exigous time, I couldn't show them.

And thats where I took an oath that:

"In every point of my life, I will be having at least one bug with me."